Deaver Hired as Assistant Director of Olympic Sport Performance

VERMILLION, S.D. — Director of Olympic Sport Performance Bryan Plenge has announced the addition of Elise Deaver to the Olympic sports sport performance team as an Assistant Director of Olympic Sports Performance.

At South Dakota, Deaver will work with the Coyote women’s basketball, women’s soccer, and triathlon teams.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Elise to our Olympic Sports Performance staff. Elise brings and impressive blend of energy, knowledge, and a relentless commitment to athlete development,” said Plenge. “Her passion for building relationships and elevating performance aligns perfectly with our program’s mission here at USD.”

Deaver comes to Vermillion after a stint at South Dakota State as a graduate strength and conditioning intern for the Jackrabbits. She worked with SDSU cheerleading, while assisting with the women’s basketball, soccer, volleyball, men’s basketball, and baseball programs.

“I am incredibly excited to join the University of South Dakota Sports Performance team,” said Deaver. “It is an honor to contribute to the development of our student-athletes and help drive the winning culture that defines USD. I can’t wait to see the growth and success our teams will achieve. Go Yotes!”

Prior to SDSU, she served as a strength and conditioning intern at the University of Iowa for the summer of 2022. She worked with the daily implementation of strength programming for Hawkeye women’s basketball, softball, and swim and dive.

A native of Island Lake, Illinois, Deaver earned her bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in strength and conditioning from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in 2022. She was a track and field student-athlete at UW-Oshkosh. She earned her master’s degree in exercise science and nutrition from South Dakota State University in 2025.